When 10-year-old horse Mamo came to the SPANA clinic in Debre Birhan, Ethiopia, he was in serious pain. The poor horse was malnourished, lethargic and was suffering with severe harness wounds.
Mamo’s owner, Ayelech, works as part of a collective of local women who collect rubbish in the town. However, due to restrictions put in place to limit the spread of Covid-19, she wasn’t able to earn an income. As a result, she was unable to feed Mamo and, like many other local women, she had to let her horse out to graze in the hope he could find enough food for himself. With very little to eat, Mamo soon began to lose weight.
To make matters worse, Mamo had painful wounds on his chest and neck where his makeshift harness was rubbing against his skin. Due to his malnourishment and lack of nutrients that promote cell growth, these wounds weren’t able to heal, leaving Mamo in severe pain and at risk of infection.
Thankfully, Ayelech had heard about the SPANA clinic that was being held in the closest town. Once lockdown restrictions were lifted enough for them to travel, the worried owner walked ten miles with Mamo to ensure that he could get the treatment he needed.
Our dedicated vets first got to work treating Mamo’s wounds, carefully cleaning them and applying zinc oxide to help them heal. They also provided Ayelech with harness padding that would stop Mamo from developing wounds in future.
The team provided Ayelech with emergency feed to ensure that Mamo recovered his strength and was able to heal properly. Ayelech said:
‘Thank you SPANA for helping my horse free of charge. Without my horse I cannot support my family or afford our rent.’
Sadly, Mamo’s story is all too common this year as many owners, through no fault of their own, struggle to feed their animals. Your support is helping us to ensure that no animal suffers as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic – thank you.
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